Rain does not spoil Bensalem's win over Truman

BENSALEM — Parth Patel knows when his Bensalem golf team takes on Harry S. Truman, it is no ordinary match.

“We know when (Truman) shows up it is going to be fun,” said Patel, a senior. “We know each other, we share the same course, so we’re going to have fun. We don’t have fun playing every team.”

Of course, winning is fun and playing in the rugged Suburban One League National Conference, the Tigers and Owls only chance to enjoy the taste of victory is usually when they face each other.

In an SOL National conference double-dual match at Bensalem Country Club on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, it was Bensalem that won a close battle with a 247-256 victory over Truman.

Undefeated Council Rock North also participated and with a team score of 183 earned two league wins.

This was the second and last league meeting of the two for the season. The Tigers had only lost by four strokes to the Owls in the first matchup.

“We thought we could win this one, we really did,” said Truman coach Charlie Bachman. “The kids are excited when we play Bensalem because they know it will be a competitive match.

“They know a win is possible. I feel like we’re getting closer. We just didn’t get the scores from some people we needed to. But the kids know each other and it is a rivalry, a friendly one though.”

A key in the Owls’ victory was the play of Patel. He was in the No. 2 position and beat his opponent by 11 strokes as he shot a 45, the lowest of any Truman or Bensalem player.

Jesse Huber and Nick Franks led the Tigers as each shot 49s.

If not for starting the match in the pouring rain — Patel triple-bogeyed the first and second holes before the rain ended — he probably could have shot under 40.

“After those first two holes I pretty much played par,” said Patel. “I didn’t really have a problem with (standing) water. My biggest problem was my driver. When I went to irons I was fine.”

The Owls also got a boost from their No. 7 golfer, Derek Rymarczuk.

Having shot a 67 on the same course Monday in a match with Pennsbury, this time Rymarczuk had a 49. That tied the Owls’ No. 1 golfer, Tyler Fortna, for second-best score on the team and matched Truman’s lowest score.

Last year, Bensalem pulled off a shocking upset of Neshaminy in its last match of the season. However, with district qualifier John Rose having graduated, the Owls do not have quite the lineup they had last year, which makes facing Truman more challenging.

“Our matches with Truman were close this year, probably because we didn’t have Rose,” said Bensalem coach Jeff Schluchterer. “I know the kids on both teams have fun when they play together. They come from similar backgrounds.”

Truman and Bensalem, who each call Bensalem Country Club as their home course, might get together again for a nonleague match or a tri-match with an SOL American Conference opponent later in the season.

But the Owls get to say they won the season series in this friendly rivalry.

Notes: Austin Fuglestad of CR North had the low round of the day with a two-under 33 despite playing in difficult conditions. “I guess you can say he is a mudder,” said Indians coach Rich White.

Stuart London: email: Slondon@Calkins.com; Twitter: @Realstuartl

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